Who will be the Chargers' 2018 rising star?

Training camp is underway tomorrow and the 2018 superlatives continue to come out. We continue that trend with the Chargers rising star. That award should go to no other than cornerback Desmond King.

After winning the Jim Thorpe award and being named to the All-American team in 2015 at the University of Iowa, King was a projected first-round pick in the following year’s NFL draft. After a sub-par performance at the NFL combine, King saw his stock fall drastically only to have the Bolts scoop him up in the fifth-round.

King saw 716 defensive snaps for L.A. on the season or 68.3 percent of the team’s defensive plays. Only six players on the team were on the field more on the defensive side of the ball, and King saw more snaps than any rookie (offensive or defensive) on the roster. Along with those impressive numbers, King ranked third among all slot cornerbacks in the NFL in run stop percentage at 5.9 percent and 13 total run stops, per Pro Football Focus.

The former Hawkeye is versatile, decisive and has good instincts, finishing his rookie season with 76 tackles (66 solo), one interception, five pass defensed and four sacks.

Fans should only expect to see King carrying that momentum into the 2018 season as he will be bringing even more energy and playing with one of the best secondaries in the NFL.